Baby Jessica Woodhouse was stillborn in 2018 following an emergency Caesarean after mum, Emma, suffered a placental abruption. Her sister, Bella, survived and was treated at the Royal Lancaster Infirmary neo-natal intensive care unit. After coming round from the surgery, Emma was moved to the RLI’s specialist suite for bereaved parents – which provided the couple with a memory box and also took Jessica’s hand and foot prints and casts, and arranged professional photographs.
Advertisement Advertisement Sign up to our daily newsletter Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to Lancaster Guardian, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you. Emma spent six days at the unit with Jessica, as well as a night at the mortuary, before finally going home. The twins were also placed together for a short time.
“Without Celia, the team and the bereavement suite at the maternity unit, my children and I would have never got the precious time with our beautiful Jessica,” said Emma. “There are many priceless memories we got there – being in a private room, a cold cot, memory boxes and many other ways in which we were supported through the worst time of our lives. “I want to try and support them to continue to support bereaved families like they did for us at the worst time of our lives.
” Advertisement Advertisement Emma hopes that her 15,000ft jump will also help to raise awareness of stillbirth. She said: “Sadly in 2024 there is still a stigma attac.